Patent GB-726341-A (GB)
Title: Device for darning holes in knitted goods
IPC: D04B39/02
Filed: 1953-03-13
Abstract: 726,341. Darning. EIJLANDER, K., and EIJLANDER, J. March 13, 1953, No. 6982/53. Class 112. Mechanism for darning holes in knitted fabric by a knitting process comprises means for tensioning the work, mechanism for actuating an eyed needle carrying the darning thread, pin-like devices for picking up and releasing the loops formed by the needle, and mechanism for moving these devices relatively to one another in a plane perpendicular to the needle and for reciprocating them axially. The process employed in the machine described is illustrated in Fig. 5; the needle 25 is projected from beneath through successive loops 120 at the edge of the hole to be darned, the work being fed towards the left and each loop 117 formed by the needle being received by the pin 70, which has an enlarged end with a helical groove 116. The pin 70 is reciprocated axially to enter each needle loop and then withdraw with it as the work is fed, and is also rotated to feed the loops along it. When loops have been formed all along one side of the hole in the work, the work is moved laterally through the width of a course of loops, and the feed is reversed; the pin 70 moves with the work, and the pin 69, similar to 70 but with its groove of the opposite hand, is brought into operation position so that it now picks up the loops as the needle forms a second row. The rotation of the pins is reversed so that the loops are fed off the pin 70 and on to the pin 69, and the pin 69 now has the looptaking axial reciprocation while the pin 70 does not move axially. At the end of the second row of loops a further lateral shift of the work takes place, this time with the pin 69, and the pin 70, now free of the work, returns to its initial position. In the machine shown in Fig. 1, the needle 25 is driven by a shaft 8 which also actuates a thread guide 24; the shaft 8 is driven from the main pulley 3 through gears 7, 12, the latter gear being slidable along the shaft by a hand lever 17 so that it drives either directly through a key 13 or indirectly, giving reverse motion, through bevel gears 19, 21, 20. The work is stretched over a holder 35 mounted on crossed tracks 44, 47, and is secured on the holder by clamping means 37 urged against the holder by springs 39. The holder is moved step-by-step on the track 44 by a dog 64 which at each needle stroke is raised to engage teeth 65 on the base of the work-holder 35, and rocked to feed the work through a distance equal to the spacing of the loops; the dog 64 is actuated by a lever 66 which is reciprocated and oscillated by a cam 58 driven from the shaft 8. The holder is shifted on the track 47 by a handoperated mechanism (not shown) which is actuated at the end of.each automatic traverse to move the work through an adjustable step into position for proper engagement by the needle during the return traverse; it is held against accidental movement by a spring finger 56 engaging a rack 57. The loop-taking pin 69 is geared to a shaft parallel to it provided with a bevel gear 84 engaging a similar gear on a shaft 89 which is driven from the shaft 8 through gears 26, 27, 29; the shaft 89 is telescopic, and its outer half 87, together with the gearing connecting it to the pin 69, is mounted in a frame which is capable of movement in the casing 1 so that the pin 69 can be shifted sideways at the end of each row of loops. The pin 70 is similarly mounted and driven at the other side of the axis of the machine, the gear 27 being common to both drives. The two carriages have racks 97, 98 respectively, connected by a gear 99 so that when the carriage of the pin 69 is shifted by means of a knob 100 the carriage of the pin 70 is given an equal and opposite movement. The pins 69, 70 are spring-pressed axially in their carriages, and are provided with face cams to be engaged by projections on their bearings so that rotation of the pins causes axial reciprocation also; this action is, however, only effective for the pin which lies to the right of the needle in the view shown, a collar on the other one (69 in the position shown) being engaged with a lug on the casing 1 to hold it in its projected position axially.